A Rescue In The Dark
by sweetlygleaming
Summary: A what-if...From Hinterland Series 2...Tom sets off to apprehend a discovered murderer but finds himself in need of a rescue...What-if Mared Rhys got there to save him (instead of Lloyd Ellis)...A closer relationship blossoms between our favourite detectives. We discover they are always there for each other time and time again.
1. Chapter 1

"Greta, where are you?" Tom Mathias called out in the darkness of the secret wooded garden orchard.

"Here...In here..." came an echo of a woman's voice. Tom hurried towards the voice in the darkness. He discovered Greta Pritchard alive kept prisoner and hostage in an old well.

"It's going to be all right. I'm here to help you. Ok? Don't worry!" Tom reassured her. Then suddenly Greta screamed and Tom was attacked from behind. His body was struck with a heavy iron piece of equipment turned weapon. He struggled. He focused to discover the obvious assailant-Arwyn Parry. He was continually beaten. Whilst trying to fend off Arwyn and apprehend him, Tom was strangled. He felt the life slowly drain from him. A clanging of a weapon was heard. Arwyn was struck blindly and collapsed onto Tom. He was thrown aside by DI Mared Rhys! She hovered over Tom quickly trying to help him breathe again.

"Tom! Tom!" She cried. Her hands began a chest compression. Tom choked and wheezed...breathing out after a loud cough.

"Oh, God. Tom!" Mared spoke relieved. His face was bloodied and his body battered.

He opened his eyes and had never been happier to see Mared's lovely face.

He kept breathing with exhaustion.

Mared gently embraced him as he lay on the ground, though she probably shouldn't have, not knowing the true condition of his body in the darkness, but she did so out of pure relief for his life and because of her adrenaline. An ambulance was on its way. She then stopped and took the liberty of examining his body. Witnessing part of the attack, she thought he may have broken ribs and hoped there was no internal bleeding. Using her flashlight to guide her, she pulled his shirt up to reveal his ribs. The bruising was quickly there. Tom stayed silent. His breathing calmed. She ran a consoling hand across the side of his forehead.

"Mared," he whispered.

"You are going to be fine. Shhh. The ambulance will be here soon." She spoke softly.

"Ma'am?...Sir?" DI Lloyd Ellis approached Mared and Tom, shining his light in their direction and seeing her body knelt over his injured Boss. She turned her face to the light, and answered, "We're here Lloyd." Backup arrived. "I'll let you know his condition. I'm going with him to the hospital." Lloyd then turned his focus to detaining Arwyn Parry, before the evil man became conscious again.

The medics arrived and began tending to Tom as Mared's eyes sparkled with sympathy and pain at seeing Tom hurt.

...


	2. Chapter 2

Mared sat down next to where Tom lay in the ER patient room as the hospital ran tests on Tom to further assess his condition. His vitals were OK. Tom looked only half-awake as he was gazing at Mared. He didn't say anything but Mared looked down and watched as Tom slowly and softly took her hand in his and managed a gentle smile as a thank you.

An old doctor walked in and caught the tender moment between them. "Hello, are you Mrs. Mathias?"

"Uh," Mared quickly blushed as she glanced at the doctor, "no, we work together..."

"Doctor, she's the one that brought him back to life..." The nurse cut in.

"Ah, I see. You were the angel there in time, then...Good on you." The doctor then looked at the nurse. "Has family been contacted?"

Tom shook his head. "She's the family I've got here."

"Ok, then. You'd be the one I'd need to discuss his evaluation with, then? Good news is we have made the determination that there is no internal bleeding. Blood pressure is regular, but there is lots of bruising over his body and a few serious rib fractures..." This doctor continued and was very thorough with his explanation...even to the point of a physical display..."If you would allow me, Sir...". He then drew Tom's patient gown down forward to Tom's waist to explain which ribs and show Mared the bruising. He turned Tom over on his side to display the severe bruising and scrapes on his back. Mared physically ached and tried to remain unemotional during this, but it was impossible. Her eyes watered and turned their brightest shade of green, and she frowned subtly. She swallowed trying to rid herself of the choked up feeling. This doctor seemed to have a very dry and blunt bedside manner about him which annoyed her as well. Though most of the time Mared herself appeared stoic-never where it concerned Tom. That seemed to be the first clue as to her intimate and personal feelings for Tom. Now, there was an ache at her very core. Realising that she almost lost Tom and bringing him back to life caused her to acknowledge the strong feelings that she developed for him. Those feelings seem to have been released from the cage she kept them in.

"It may be some time before he can comfortably sleep without assistance. Pain meds, I mean. Also, anti-inflammatories will be in order. He has suffered a slight concussion, and as far as the strangulation and to monitor the condition of his lungs, heart, and his breathing, we will be keeping him overnight at least."

"Thank you, Doctor." Mared replied, her speech slightly quieter in tone.

Tom was moved to a hospital room for the night.

The doctor left the nurse to tend to the patient.

The nurse pulled down Tom's gown to his waist once more to reveal his entire upper body. Her intentions were to leave a more massive ice pack for treatment upon his injuries. The nurse applied an oversized-extended length iced/cold compression pack to Tom's rib cage area.

"All right. Keep that there," The nurse muttered. Then she brought Tom's gown up over him again.

Mared stared contemplatively. Tom just looked so helpless when the doctors and nurses handled his injuries and poked and prodded at him. Mared was losing her calm having to witness this.

The nurse walked around adjusting other equipment in the room. "Buzz me back in, if you need anything. I'll be back a bit later.

Tom then spoke, seemingly much more alert in tone, "I'm...sorry...Mared. You were forced into looking at me...my injuries...repulsive for you, I bet...He shouldn't have made you see all of that." Tom tried to joke to lighten the mood.

"Tom...It's not that...I'm just...Inside, I feel...I don't know if it's the adrenaline still...I...thought I lost you. I ache...for you." Tom then held a slightly confused expression upon his face...as if waiting for her to go on...And just when she thought she would let all of the words spill out from her soul, Mared panicked. "It's...I mean, I need you...at my side every day...at work...I mean. We all need you. What would we do without you?" She placed both of her hands in his.


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks passed, and Tom was back at work and on another case. He was sifting through photo evidence and case notes, when he winced severely, though he remained silent through his pain.

"Tom?" Mared could tell he was in a state of severe discomfort, she paused, and then reacted when he didn't respond to her. "Come on. Let's go to the break room."

Once there, she continued to speak.

"You need more time. More rest. You are still in too much pain. You shouldn't be here." Mared calmly admonished.

"Please, Mared. I have to. There's no time...". He winced once more.

"Let me see." She quietly commanded. Tom was surprised by the softness of her request.

Tom stared at her with his soulful eyes, and then untucked his dress shirt from his trousers slowly. He then began to unbutton it slowly whilst continuing to look at Mared. He opened his shirt but kept it on his shoulders. He raised the long-sleeved cotton shirt he layered underneath. She approached him more closely. The bruising remained severe.

"Seems as if you've hardly begun to heal." She then went to the mini freezer where a cold gel compress pack was stored in the event of employee need for first aid.

"Sit, please." She gently ordered. "You need this."

Mared then drew very close to him standing over him to apply it for him. Tom's hands dropped slowly, and it was Mared who now held his shirt up, as she held the cold pack to his injured ribs.

Tom. closed his eyes. For a second, Mared's and Tom's bodies very subtly quivered as they understood the space between them was small in measure and the silence seemed to resonate.

In that moment, Prosser entered the room unexpectedly.

"DI Rhys, what is the meaning of this? What are you doing? Tom?"

"Sir," Mared was startled, "I was only helping Tom take care of..."

"If DCI Mathias needs tending to, he can tend to himself at home. Why are you here, Mathias, if you can't function properly and professionally for this case? If you are not well in body, I shall find it necessary to appoint someone else as head of the case. Do you require more time off?" Prosser growled sternly with the faintest hint of concern.

"No, sir." Tom answered.

Mared gazed into Tom's eyes with sad and tender emotion. Her skin looked flushed. Prosser's eyes darted from Tom to Mared and back again, as he pondered the existence of feelings of a certain fondness between them. They seemed very close-almost too close. Had things remained professional between them? Tom could not afford to be reprimanded for any sort of misconduct in his personal life that would affect his professional life. There needed to be professional focus. Prosser contemplated not making the nature of the relationship between DI Mared Rhys and DCI Tom Mathias his business to know, though Tom was too good of a detective to risk losing, so the private conversation and questioning must be had and done.


	4. Chapter 4

After some contemplation, a few hours later, Prosser entered the room where Tom & Mared were seated at their desks working.

"Tom, my office. Now." Prosser ordered.

Tom looked at Mared. Mared's eyes and expression changed inquisitively in wonder but as if to wish Tom luck.

Tom followed Prosser down the hall to his private office.

"Shut the door." Prosser commanded.

Tom did so and waited in silence.

"Concerning...you and DI Rhys...What is the current nature of your relationship with her? Do you care for each other?"

"Excuse me, Sir?"

"You seem to have become extremely close as of late."

"We do care for each other. We work together...Professionally, we are concerned for each other's well-being and safety. She is part of my work family, yes. I want her to always be safe and well...especially considering the dangers of this job..."

"I'm not asking about the professional aspects..."

"Sir?" Tom's brow furrowed as he paused.

"Did you sleep with her?" Prosser spoke in a harsher, forceful tone.

"What?" Tom was taken aback by the private, personal nature of the question and reacted in surprise not in a sense that such a concept was out of the question.

"Is it such a foreign question, Tom? Do you know DI Rhys intimately? Have you and she become physically intimate?"

"What business is it...". Tom began defensively, even though such intimacy had not occurred between them.

He stopped himself and presented a calmer, less emotional reaction, biting his bottom lip slightly as he shook his head, "No," he mumbled.

"Good." Was Prosser's response.

"She saved my life, Sir. Our bond has grown stronger for that. I am very grateful to her."

Tom kept the furrowed look on his face as there was another pause in the discussion.

"I want to warn you, since I will take you at your word, that if you had ever the notion, to my knowledge of experiences, Tom, it's best to keep work relationships strictly professional. If you were to mix pleasure there, there could be consequences if such things were not to work out. We can't let personal and intimate relationships affect the efficiency, progress, and productiveness of this department. You two make a great team professionally. Perhaps, it's best to keep it that way."

Tom bowed his head. Looking at the floor, he was annoyed by this admonishment. He thought to himself, I haven't done anything.

"Is that all, Sir? I thought this was to have to do with the case..."

"You can go. Get back to work." Prosser answered.

Tom exited, walked back down the hall, and returned to his desk across on the other side of the room from Mared's. Their desks faced each other's at opposite ends of the workspace. She was still seated at her desk organizing some paperwork. Tom stared at her. She stared back not knowing what that was about but as if silently asking.

Tom gazed at her for a long period of time but remained silent and then looked down at his work.


	5. Chapter 5

Mared was anxious throughout the remainder of the work day. Tom had not volunteered any information as to what that meeting with Prosser was about. She hoped Tom was not in any sort of trouble with him.

Mared and DS Owens were by no means the closest of work colleagues, still Mared was curious if she had any info about it.

"Sian?" Mared approached her. DS Owens turned around.

"Yes, Ma'am?" She responded but almost hesitantly.

"l wondered, if perhaps...". Mared paused.

Sian's eyes were bright and in wait of a question.

"By any chance, has Prosser spoken to you today regarding anything concerning DCI Mathias? To put it plainly, Tom was called in to his office today, and I wondered, since we're a team, if you would tell me if you knew what that was about?" Mared's tone lifted in inquiry. "I feel foolish asking...but it's been worrying me and on my mind, so..."

"Look, we're a team, so I will say...To be honest, ma'am...Prosser actually confronted me asking if I knew if...sorry if...you and DCI Mathias have become..." Sian paused herself almost embarrassed to relay to Mared herself what she was questioned about.

"Yes?" A look of concern spread across Mared's features as she wanted Sian to continue.

"He wanted to know if there was a physical, intimate relationship happening between you and DCI Mathias, because he said if there was, I had a duty to report if there was anything going on that was affecting the progess, efficiency, and productiveness here at this office. My guess is that may have been what that private office meeting was concerning."

"Oh," Mared turned crimson. "My God,". Mared buried her face in her hands. She separated her words in mortification.

"The break room today." Mared reminded herself out loud.

"Sorry?" Sian was intrigued.

"No, Sian, I didn't sleep with him. I haven't slept with him. But, what did you say to Prosser?"

"I said as far as I knew DCI Mathias and DI Rhys are completely professional together. DI Rhys is always professional."

"Thank you." Mared spoke calmly. Mared found herself confiding more in Sian proceeding that response. She never thought she would.

"Sian, I think I may have...I may have done something to draw such suspicion today. DCI Mathias was in pain. I was speaking to him in the break room, and then I...I was tending to him..."

"Tending to him?" Sian spoke.

"I was tending to his injuries. I believe it's much too soon for him to have returned to work after the severity of the injuries he sustained during the conclusion of the Greta Pritchard case. I placed an ice pack on his injured ribs for him. Prosser saw my hands on him. I was holding on to him...helping him."

"It's none of my business, ma'am, but can't DCI Mathias do that for himself?"

Mared sighed and closed her eyes as if to admit it was a mistake to act in that way.

Sian then said to Mared, "I'm now going to ask you a personal question, ma'am. Are you in love with him?"

Mared scoffed at Sian's impertinence.

"You shouldn't ask me this. Why are you asking?"

Sian smiled in that moment knowing Mared had not given her a straight no as an answer.

Sian said, "You're going to have to forgive me for that. We will still work together tomorrow no matter what's said here now. And if there is any doubt, whether you believe me or not, I can keep secrets. I see the way you look at each other. More like long stares. It's in your eyes-the both of you. So, maybe...the question is not have you slept with DCI Mathias, it's-Do you want to sleep with him?"

Mared looked away.

Mared gave a nervous chuckle and breathed out, "Sorry, Sian...I can't continue this conversation. Please don't ask me anything like that again." She held back the wish to smile through her embarrassment.


	6. Chapter 6

Mared found herself alone in the office room with Tom, as he was taking down photos from the case wall.

"Tom?"

Tom glanced at her.

"Can we talk?" She asked.

Tom nodded.

"Look, I think I may have been responsible for...your...being called in to Prosser's office...and...I...wanted to apologise for that. Her words slowed and sped up again, as she was interpreting his facial expression and reaction.

"What happened in the break room today..."

"Oh...no, don't worry, Mared. It's not your fault. You were only trying to help." Tom answered her apology but also wondered what made Mared, to his mind, almost guess at the reason for Prosser's questioning.

"It may have been a bit unprofessional of me, and I'm sorry." Mared continued.

"Well, I don't see it that way, so what are you apologising for? It's not necessary."

She slightly smiled and then started to help him pack away the case photos.

"It's late, Mared. I can do this. You go."

"It'll be done faster if I'm helping. The sooner this is finished, the sooner you can go home to rest." Mared said to him. "You need to rest to recover properly. Please, promise me you'll get some sleep."

Tom chuckled mocking that thought.

"I'll try." He bargained.

"Good." She smirked.

"I appreciate that you are such a caring person. That's a wonderful quality about you, Mared." Tom told her.

Mared felt herself blushing.

"I naturally worry." Mared answered.

"Well, I will be fine. I don't want you to." Tom responded.

"Well, if there is ever anything you need, you can call me, you know. Just..." she paused, "know that." Mared spoke tenderly.

...

"Good night, Tom."

"Good night, Mared." They wished each other after Tom and Mared walked out to their cars.


	7. Chapter 7

Another long day began as usual at police headquarters. The team began another day of police research. Tom was seated at his desk reading over a report. Mared was organizing and searching a file down the hall.

Suddenly, Tom heard a disturbance-yelling in the distance and a loud scuffle. A man was running through their offices and a few guards chased him. It was obvious a suspect had escaped police hold as they were transporting him to a holding cell, and the suspect now created a diversion path through their offices. Tom sprang up from his seat. The man had headed in the direction of the building where Mared was.

"Mared,". Tom whispered. He darted down the hall. Just as he got there, he saw Mared had been in the pathway at the wrong time. The suspect grabbed her in a choke hold to throw her aside, but one could also tell for a brief moment his indecisiveness about whether to take her with him as a hostage. Tom's eyes widened as he froze for a moment with his arms lifted as if to plead for the suspect not to hurt Mared. Everything was happening so quickly. In a fit of panic and luckily for all, it was soon evident the suspect decided against the hostage notion. However, he had not totally decided against harming her. In his rage, he cast her against the wall with his hand pressing down upon harshly Mared's chest before slightly punching her, giving her a direct blow or jab to the diaphragm and then continuing to run. Mared collapsed to the floor. Tom ran directly to her aid.

"I have her." Tom breathed in a panicked tone. "I got her," he repeated as if encouraging the policemen to go continue after the man.

"Mared," Tom spoke as he noticed she couldn't breathe comfortably, for with that blow, the wind was knocked out of her.

Lloyd had run to the scene and witnessed what proceeded.

"Lie on your back." Tom said as he moved Mared to that position. He instructed her to extend her arms over her head while he was arching her back. "Short breaths in, long breaths out." He demonstrated. He learned this method could help restore normal breathing when someone suffered temporarily paralysis of the diaphragm induced by a blow like that. She was in pain but within seconds, her normal breathing was restored. He kept her lying there as a safety precaution for about 30 seconds more before confirming she was ok. Mared's first urge was to hold on to Tom. She sat up on her own and latched on to him. He could tell she was shaking slightly. He held her and let her stay that way in that embrace as long as she needed. He felt her begin to become calmer. The embrace seemed to soothe her, the longer it was shared.

"We should take you to a doctor."

"No, I don't need a hospital." She refuted in a quiet yet relieved tone.

"We can just have a doctor look over you to be sure."

"Tom, I'm fine. Take me home?"

He nodded.

They walked in to her home together. Tom looked around. He'd never been there to her house before.

"Can you stay awhile?" Mared implored.

"Sure," he answered.

They sat together on her sofa.

Moments later, Mared bent her knees up, drew her feet up on the sofa, and curled up against Tom with her head resting upon that comfortable spot somewhere in between his chest and his shoulder, no longer contemplating whether she should or shouldn't. The professional barrier was broken.

"It's going to be all right, Mared." He spoke to her.

"You're safe now."

Time passed, as they stayed that way.

...

Tom sweetly brushed his lips to the top of her head-her hair-as he cradled her against him.

Moments later, Mared moved to suddenly bring her fingers to the knot of Tom's tie and began loosening it.

"What are you doing?" Tom asked sweetly the rhetorical question, because he hadn't expected that.

She hadn't answered him.

Her fingers stroked his neck, as she gently and passionately kissed him. She seemed to no longer have the patience to repress what she truly wanted. She loved Tom. She didn't want to deny it any longer.

Mared for real this time initiated the "complicating of things" as Prosser called it.

She unbuttoned and opened his shirt.

"Should we..." Tom closed his eyes, as Mared's lips delicately caressed the bruising on his chest, ribs, and stomach that had not yet healed.

She drew her hands down his arm to draw him up from the sofa to guide him to her bedroom.

"Wait? Are you sure you want this? They say we need professional focus. Are you sure you're Ok for this? I don't want to hurt you...You want this...". He paused, "Now?" He was considering her body might still be in pain or sore from earlier.

"Kiss me, Tom." Mared spoke authoritatively.

Tom acquiesced to her command with a powerful connection of his lips upon hers.

She lay back on the bed. His body covered hers. They had not taken the time to fully undress before they were in that position.

She brought his hands to her breasts longing for him to touch her. She was still clothed. She rushed to change that, though she was nervous to fully reveal her body to him, but she thought that's what Tom was waiting for her to do-to completely undress for him and lie naked before him. Not so. He wanted her to be comfortable.

Mared was rushing, but Tom slowed her down.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. It's ok." He whispered.

"Sorry,". She blushed.

"Shhh, no worries..." He consoled her. He always found the words to calm her. The gentility in his voice and tone perfectly soothed her.

Even so, he could tell her heart was racing now.

She stroked his back as they began kissing as they lay between the sheets together.

Tom looked into her eyes, as their bodies became one for the first time.

Mared whimpered, as Tom gently moved inside her.

She continued to softly moan and breathe against him. She desperately held him to her beneath the sheets. Her head rested over his shoulder.

"I'm here, Mared. I'll always be here." Tom whispered.


End file.
